Air Pollution Kills 7 Million Annually

In September, 2011 the above title read two million. Figures from both years are based on reports from the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency. Is air quality getting worse, or are more deaths being attributed to air pollution?

2 minute read

March 30, 2014, 5:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


"The staggering number — one in eight of all deaths, globally" in 2012 makes air pollution "the single largest environmental health risk in the world today", writes Lucy Westcott (who also writes for The Wire). "The World Health Organization (WHO) says that improved technology used to measure the effects of human exposure to pollutants has led to better estimates of the number of deaths," adds Wescott.

WHO's press release further explains the near-quadrupling over the figure we reported in 2011 that was restricted to data from "1,100 cities across 91 countries, including capital cities and cities with more than 100,00 residents based on measurements from 2003 to 2010."

The new estimates are not only based on more knowledge about the diseases caused by air pollution, but also upon better assessment of human exposure to air pollutants through the use of improved measurements and technology. This has enabled scientists to make a more detailed analysis of health risks from a wider demographic spread that now includes rural as well as urban areas."

Reports of horrendous air quality are reported not only in Beijing and other Chinese citiesTehranDelhi and other Asian cities, but even Paris which enacted a partial driving ban on March 17.

However, deadly air pollution is not restricted to the smog and particulate pollution that envelop cities. WHO notes that 61% of air pollution-caused mortality (4.3 million deaths) in 2012 was attributed to "indoor air pollution in households that cooked over coal, wood and biomass stoves," writes Wescott.

The effects of air pollution transcend public health and mortality. Bloomberg News reports that "(a)ir pollution led to genetic changes that may have sapped learning skills in children whose mothers were exposed to a Chinese coal-fired power plant before it was shuttered a decade ago."

Tuesday, March 25, 2014 in The Atlantic Cities

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Blue and silver Amtrak train at small station.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train

The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

July 3 - New Orleans City Business

Large spinning swing ride at Chicago's Navy Pier.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip

Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

July 3 - Streetsblog Chicago

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3 - Governing